JAZZ REVIEW : ‘Night on the Town’ Misses Vital Beats

Herbie Hancock told the audience at the House of Blues on Monday night why it took him so long to put together his new, percussive-heavy recording “Dis Is Da Drum.” “I didn’t have any ideas,” he said sheepishly.

From there, he went into “Call It ‘95,” a tune with a solid enough groove, but more a rehash of his “Rockit” and “Head Hunters” days than the kind of forward-thinking jazz-funk hybrid that both those eras signaled.

Sometimes having no ideas is better than coming up with a bad one. And Hancock’s inclusion in the “A Night on the Town” tour, a semi-super group of modestly well-known funk and fusion stars that he headlined, was a bad idea. The keyboardist would have been better served by forming his own band to take on the road.

Missing from this performance were the layered percussion and sampled voices that give “Da Drum” what little interest it has. Instead, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington tried in vain to propel Hancock’s simple groove-and-riff pieces on her own. Those hoping that the keyboardist might take the opportunity to stretch out and improvise, something he does very little of on the new recording, were given only token efforts that seemed to end just as they turned exciting.

Not surprisingly, Hancock’s best efforts came on numbers pulled from recordings some 20 years old. An updated version of “Butterfly” featured rich, textured synthesizer accompaniment from second keyboardist Darrell Smith. “Chameleon,” from the 1973 “Head Hunters” band, broke long enough from its heavy riff to allow Hancock to prove that he’s still the champ at embellishing funk beats.

Performances from other members of the group, though spread around democratically, proved a mixed bag. Saxophonist Gerald Albright’s alto work on a medley that included “Georgia on My Mind” and the theme from “The Andy Griffith Show” was peppered with pointless, dramatic pauses. Bassist Vail Johnson worked to the beat, but added little harmonic interest. Keyboardist Dan Siegel all but disappeared after his feature on “Forest People.”

On the plus side, vocalist Lalah Hathaway brought smoky pleasures and a warm gospel feel to her material while guitarist Doc Powell provided tough, ambitious solos and an exchange with Hancock that was the show’s highlight. The second-billed performer, rap godfather Gil Scott-Heron, was a no-show.